My name is Mack O’Brien. I am from Northport, Long Island. I came to Geneseo on August 22, almost 5 weeks ago. Honestly, I can’t tell if time is going faster or slower than usual, but it definitely feels different. In terms of classes, I have felt refreshed and it’s easier to focus than in my fourth year of sitting at Northport High School. My mind and body have picked up on the challenge of starting college in an unfamiliar environment, and it has motivated me and allowed me to think more clearly. In my senior year of high school, Idid not have a good mindset for learning. I was just ready to get out of the High School and was doing the bare minimum. High School helped me realize when I get a job after college; I can’t be sitting in the same place for my whole life. I have to work in new environments every so often to keep myself from getting complacent.
I expect to enjoy this class because it’s very different from the rest of my classes. Learning about vets, and the military is also a great interest of mine. I have trouble writing and reading when I’m not engaged in the topic. In this class, I don’t foresee having that problem because I have always been interested in learning about veterans. Some of my favorite movies are war-related which I find engaging and entertaining. When I am given a topic I am eager to learn about, I am more confident with my word choice and everything goes from pen to paper with ease.
To be honest, I don’t know the last time I read a book assigned to me. I enjoy reading and I fully plan to read the books assigned in this class because I am interested. I have seen most of the great movies about war, The Things They Carried is probably my favorite book. I see myself enjoying the readings in this class. Reading is great because you feel smarter after reading. Feeling smarter is being smarter because of how much I have realized confidence affects your performance.
My other classes have been going well so far. One thing I realized I have to be better at is remembering when I have work due. In High School, teachers would make sure you know what work is due and they would let you know if anything was missing. In college, you have to be more responsible and you have to keep everything organized to stay up to date. Navigating my work will come easier,(I’m sure), once I am 100% confident on brightspace.
I am very fortunate to be on the lacrosse team here at Geneseo. I immediately was introduced to tons of kids who share similar interests. Being on a team is such a beneficial asset regardless of the activity at hand. I have always been on sports teams since I can remember, and it really teaches you so many skills that you don’t even realize. I believe no matter what sport it is if you’re on a team and you get along you’re going to have fun.
When reading, I have not necessarily made any personal connections, but I am picking up on a new style of writing. It happens to me all the time where I go blank and am struggling to put words on the paper. Obviously, I won’t be writing out all my thoughts like Birkenstien and Graff do, but asking myself some of the questions that the book covers can be a useful tool in my writing. Using what I have learned reading They Say, I Say, I now have another backup plan to try and get my thoughts rolling again.
The only negative I have realized about being on the lacrosse team is the lack of a need to meet other students. I have always been very social and easy to like. Being on a team gives me fifty friends. This is wonderful but it’s also important to meet kids who aren’t on the team. By the end of this semester, one of my goals is to make more friends who don’t play lacrosse. In this class the group work has pushed me to make a few more friends which I am thankful for.
